WHAT-TO-DO NASSAU, CABLE BEACH, PARADISE ISLAND - JULY 2006 EDITION
Taking memorable underwater photos is not really difficult, say professional divers. It’s mostly a matter of controlling your buoyancy and learning to stay still in the watery environment.
“Anyone can get a really great shot,” says Claudia Pellarini of Stuart Cove’s Aqua Adventures in Nassau, Bahamas. “But they have to do things the right way.”
Pellarini, manager of FinPhoto at Stuart Cove’s, says “the number one thing in getting good underwater photos is actually the diver’s diving skill.” The key is learning to remain nearly motionless in the water.
If you have to make a lot of movement to maintain trim, she says, that is interpreted as an alarm signal by the finny set. By remaining relatively still, you become part of the environment and can get surprisingly close to your subjects.
THINK LIKE A FISH
The right way requires mastering basic diving skills, but “it’s really learning to think and act like a fish,” says Leroy Lowe of Bahama Divers.
Lowe suggests drawing fish closer by feeding them. “Have a friend get behind you or off to the side,” he suggests. “Let them drop some food down in front of you, and believe me, the fish will come to the food.”
Photographic composition “is a lot like on land; the same rules apply, but,” Pellarini says, “you have to remember that everything underwater is 25 per cent bigger… so get closer.”
CLOSE IS GREAT
Close is important for composition; it is also important for lighting. Light is limited underwater, and as the diver goes deeper, there’s less light. Colours disappear, with red the first to go. Skin tones disappear about the same time and other divers become a featureless grey.
Pellarini says divers also need to watch the angle of the light. The best lighting is from the side rather than directly on the subject, reducing reflections of particles suspended in the water.
“I tell divers they should always use the camera they’re familiar with,” adds Pellarini. “Of course it needs to be in a watertight housing.” Both Stuart Cove’s and Bahama Divers rent and sell underwater cameras.
Pellarini is impressed by the quality of the new digital cameras. They are “great for getting quality underwater photos to show to your friends,” she says.
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